Living in the coldest inhabited places on Earth already sounds like a tedious task. Coming from someone who lives in a tropical country, I can only imagine that.
In the video above, the presenter demonstrates how to own a vehicle in Yakutia, Siberia, which claims to be the coldest inhabited place on earth. This is a difficult task due to the extremely low temperatures which can drop to -94 degrees Fahrenheit (-70 degrees Celsius). If a car is left unprotected in these conditions, it can freeze in minutes.
It should be noted that the temperature in the video above was recorded at -58 degrees F (-58 degrees C).
To unfreeze a car, locals use a special technique that takes about two hours. This is another chore, the video shows the processes that needed to be done. The car shown was an UAZ, one of the toughest vehicles to come out of Russia.
To prevent the car from freezing outside, it is important to insulate it and keep it in a heated garage during the winter. However, keeping a garage warm in such extreme cold can be difficult and expensive, so many residents choose to “mothball” their cars by removing the battery and letting the car freeze outside. They will have to wait until spring to thaw their vehicles.
Another way to keep the car from freezing in the winter months is to leave the engine on all the time, which is common practice in Yakutia, parked with their engines on from October to April. While this method surely works, it also obviously leads to high fuel consumption.
Driving in these conditions can be dangerous, especially if your car gets stuck in the road. In Yakutia, traveling from one city to another can take several days. If the car breaks down, it can be life-threatening, so regular car maintenance and good insulation are crucial.
The video also shows Konstantin and Anatoliy, two residents of Yakutia, how they isolate their vehicles. The couple spent about $70 on materials and tools needed to protect the car from freezing.
